Letter to the Editor: Show Your Eagle Pride!

Who will step up to meet the challenge of providing equitable educational opportunities for the children of the Southern Door County School District? Right now Southern Door’s taxpayers are currently getting a triple whammy:

• The district did not qualify for an increase in state aid when the state raised its minimum revenue limit. It is only one of seven districts in the state whose revenue limit was frozen by the passage of 2017 Wisconsin Act 141 due to a previously failed operational referendum. The other 421 school districts received an increase!
• On Oct. 15, the Department of Public Instruction issued a news release indicating that state aid for the district will decrease by 16.41 percent – a decrease of $222,786 for this school year, meaning local taxpayers will need to pay more!
• The state aid formula puts rural school districts like Southern Door at greater risk of being able to keep programs, qualified staff and updated facilities, because it does not take income into account – only property value and student count. Wisconsin schools will be holding 82 school referendums on the Nov. 6 ballot. Seventy-one referenda were held on the spring ballot. That puts Wisconsin at 153 school referenda for 2018. (Wheeler Report, October 4, 2018)

If you want the district’s taxpayers to receive their fair share of state aid and revenue to maintain its educational facilities and programs, you must vote yes to pass the referendum on Nov. 6.

Jesse Harness

Luxemburg, Wis.